King Reign

Live my life like an open-book confession… King Reign is more of the people than a ruler of people. A thoughtful storyteller wise beyond both his years and his genre, it’s no surprise to learn that Reign—an acronym for Rhyme Energy In God’s Nature—is studying film and perfecting the arts of directing and editing. He’s long had a gift for painting moving pictures through his carefully crafted narrative rhymes, which are as soulful in lyrical content as they are in sound. If Reign doesn’t make you see things differently, he’ll articulate what you’ve been trying for years to describe. Like street narrators Slick Rick and Nas before him, Reign’s raps bristle with a sharp sense of detail and attack from a fresh, smart perspective. If every story has two sides, Reign digs deeper and uncovers a third. Sure, he’s collaborated with hip-hop royalty such as Drake, Pharoahe Monch and Saukrates and lent his buttery baritone to tracks by Boi-1da and Rich Kidd, but you don’t know Reign until you hear Sincere, his forthcoming solo LP. “I tell a lot of stories on there, and they are sincere stories. If I offer advice in my music or you find a moral in my stories, it comes from what I’ve experienced,” explains the seasoned artist, long overdue for his solo spotlight. “There’s no boundaries on my music as far as topics or the direction I’ll go sonically. I put thought into my music, so that makes me feel I can compete. That resonates. The voice might draw you in, but the fact I’m actually saying something will stay with you.” A Toronto-born son of Trinidadian and Guyanese parents and father of two children himself, Reign fearlessly writes about twisted love (“When My Eyes Close”), drug abuse (“Chemical Romance”), and racial stereotypes (the chilling “Killer”). And he does so in a conversational manner, like a brother taking you aside. In the standout “Pretty Girl Lost” Reign looks at attractive women through a new lens. “You could blame them and say they’re stuck up or too high on themselves, but that’s not the case a lot of times,” Reign explains. “They’re pretty, but they live a sad life. It’s a gift and a curse. Everybody has gifts they receive and pain they receive. I wanted to find another angle to talk about subjects that have already been touched. That’s what I do.” Then he’ll flip more TV references in a single verse than you have satellite channels, as he does on “Promo.” Or bang drums like a one-dude Blue Man Group in his thundering live show. Skills and showmanship balance the lessons. The music – produced by Gameboy, Rich Kidd, Pro Logic, Agile, Darp Malone, and Reign himself – is inspiring the writer these days. After a major-label solo deal with Sony and a Juno-nominated stint as a featured member of Brassmunk opened Reign’s eyes to the business hurdles of monetizing the art he loves, he returns hungrier than ever. Building momentum with two EPs of Reign Music, Reign has struck a creative wellspring and has already began plotting a follow-up to Sincere before it hit shelves. “The biggest complaint from my fans is, I don’t put out enough music,” Reign explains. “We still got good music, still got a passionate for it – that’s not changed. Now there’s more experience and more focus.” Reign’s unique style was born out of home that spilled with the diverse sounds of jazz, calypso, reggae and R&B ; he’d follow his parents to festivals, breathe in the spices of island dishes and begin pounding on African drums . With a father for a DJ, Reign was turned on to music from jump, performing in his high school band and writing Rakim-inspired raps on the low. Reign’s melody is ours. Thoughtful lyrics, meaningful hooks, diverse beats, plus the vision to direct his own videos—King Reign’s stories are executed with purpose and honesty. “I didn’t want to embarrass my family, but I didn’t want to be politically correct all the time. I didn’t see how I could be an artist and still be this person who’s finding himself. Then I realized, it’s music. You can find a balance after you go to the extremes,” Reign says. “I’m still swerving a bit, but I try to find a balance. I’m busy like Tuesday, easy like Sunday morning.” King Reign To The World Presents.... www.twitter.com/KingReignthe1st www.kingreign.com